Fortune Favors the Bold
by DalWriter
Summary: Coda to S8E12 The Brave. This is my take on how Jamie & Edie's "date" continued.


Coda to 8.12 _The Brave_

A/N like every over Jamko shipper the scene in the restaurant had me gleeful. I had to write more. However, two things bugged me. One, I always played the game by adding the phrase "in bed" to the end of the fortune, not "between the sheets." I guess that works too but it was weird. Second, as long as they have been partnered, as many meals as they have eaten together over the years I find it hard to believe that this never came up before.

 _~ BB *~* BB *~* BB ~_

Looking down at the small slip of paper in his hands, Jamie read his lame fortune: 'Wisdom comes to those who are willing to listen.' If you had asked him at the time, he couldn't tell you why he lied, but given the game they were playing, it seemed appropriate. "Your partner will bring you great pleasure . . . between the sheets," he read with a smirk on his face and a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"It does not say that," Edie insisted. "Gimme that," she demanded reaching for the fortune which Jamie held out of her reach.

"Just order," he deflected, knowing that his beautiful partner was easily distracted by food.

When the waitress returned, they placed their orders, agreeing to share everything that was brought to the table. When she left for the kitchen, Edie resumed their earlier discussion. "I would you know."

"You would what?" Jamie asked.

"Bring you great pleasure," Edie promised.

Jamie's heart rate quickened. This was getting interesting. He had no doubt about what Edie was saying. If they ever got there, Jamie knew they'd be amazing together. Yet he remained of two minds on letting go of their work partnership to risk a relationship. He was terrified that if they didn't work out as a couple, he'd lose the best friend and best partner he ever had. After Sydney left him, Jamie didn't think he'd survive losing Edie too. But this seemed to be the week for bold moves – first disobeying a direct order to save Billy and then calling the precinct Captain a Jackass.

"I have no doubt," he answered in response to Edie's promise of bringing him great pleasure.

"What about you? Does that fortune work both ways?" Edie teased.

Jamie flicked his eyes over Edie's chest. She had taken her coat off and was wearing a tight sweater with a deep vee neck, which accentuated her ample chest. The gleaming gold circle sat tantalizingly at her throat. "You'd be more than satisfied," Jamie assured her.

Edie apprized him thoughtfully. She hadn't expected him to make such a declaration. She thought he'd shut it down, the way he usually did with more BS about clouded judgment and the anti-fraternization regs. Before she could say anything, their food arrived.

"Looks good," Jamie observed as he began to spoon various dishes onto his plate.

Edie wasn't sure if Jamie had been talking about the food or her. She hoped it was the latter.

They ate in companionable silence for a while. The food was too delicious, and they had been partners too long to require conversation. There were rarely awkward silences between them.

When the meal was over, as they were waiting for the server to return with Jamie's credit card Edie asked, "You up for a night cap?"

"Sure," he answered. "It's not like we have to get up early tomorrow for first tour."

"Yeah, we don't have to be at 1 PP until 10:00 a.m on Monday. It's like a half day," Edie joked.

Exiting the restaurant, Jamie dropped an arm across Janko's shoulders. She wrapped her arm around his back, fitting herself into his side. Together they wandered down the street arm in arm.

"Wanna head over to the Kettle?" Jamie asked.

"You hate that place," Edie pointed out.

"Yeah," he shrugged, "but you like it. And it's close to your apartment."

"Fine by me," Edie agreed. She couldn't help but wonder if Jamie had an ulterior motive for wanting to be close to her place. She certainly hoped so.

 _~ BB *~* BB *~* BB ~_

Inside the bar, Jamie grabbed a table while Edie ordered their drinks from the bartender. Placing them on the small table, she slid into the bench with her back to the exposed brick wall. Jamie sat across from her in a chair. The pair clinked glasses in a toast. "Slainte," Jamie offered the age old Irish blessing before they drank.

"I've been thinking about this whole suspension thing," Edie began.

"I'm not gonna apologize. It was Billy. You know we did the right thing!" Jamie insisted.

"Not asking you to," Edie supplied.

"Then what?" Jamie demanded. Their wonderful evening was disintegrating before his eyes. Why did Janko have to bring up the rip?

"Cap'n Jackass gave us a rip for insubordination not for violating the fraternization rules," Edie observed. "Even when he called me your girlfriend he said it like it was a slight against your manhood having to be protected by a girl but he didn't say it like he cared that we were dating or violating the regs."

"But we're not dating," Jamie reminded his partner.

Edie frowned. She of all people knew they weren't dating. "Yeah I know Reagan, but you're missing my point."

"Which is?"

"That the brass doesn't seem to care if we are dating," Edie explained.

Jamie turned his head to the side and looked away but didn't say anything. He looked back at her exasperated but still didn't speak.

"We certainly wouldn't be the first partners in NYPD history to cross that line, not even in our own house," Edie pointed out.

"What are you saying?" Jamie asked. His tone had softened, and he looked at her somberly.

"We've talk about this. We've tip-toed around it," Edie began. "We have. . . we have these . . . feelings. . . "

Jamie nodded, silently encouraging her to continue.

"You . . . you have . . . ah . . . concerns about these feelings . . . clouding our judgment out on the street," she reiterated Jamie's long held fear. "And you don't want . . . . we don't want anything to jeopardize our partnership."

"You're important to me," Jamie revealed.

Smiling, Edie returned the sentiment, "And you're important to me. But whether we act on them or not, we have these feelings. We've had 'em for a while and . . . they're not clouding our judgment."

Jamie frowned. He could think of at least two occasions when the way he felt about his partner did have an impact on how he behaved. That first incident when her probationary year was over and he lost control wailing on that skell who dared put his hands on Janko and again at the wedding when that suburban cop NYPD wanna be was hitting on her. Jamie remembered exactly how his blood had been boiling that night. Out on the street, if he was focused on Edie he could get them both killed.

"It's not a distraction," Edie insisted. "It's more like . . . like I know where you are and what you're thinking without having to look. I trust you and you trust me. We just know and we just . . . we work."

Jamie nodded again. "I do trust you. With my life. Every day."

"So," Edie swallowed, then took a sip of her drink, hoping to find some liquid courage. "We're . . . it's like we're in sync. So if we got even . . . um . . . you know, ah more . . . more connected, that would be better?"

Jamie gazed at his partner. She looked so hopeful and so vulnerable all at the same time. He couldn't bear to reject her a third time. Not knowing what else to say, he reached across the small table and took one of her hand in both of his. She placed her other hand on top of their joined hands.

"We risk a lot," Jamie postulated.

Edie repeated her fortune to him, the fortune that started this whole night, "The greatest risk is not taking one."

Jamie chuckled. Sliding his hands from Edie's grasp. He stood which initially confused the blonde until he slid onto the bench next to her. With his arm stretched along the top of the bench behind Edie Jamie whispered, "Are you sure about this?" He gazed so deeply into her eyes Edie was sure he could see all the way to her soul. She so saw much love shining in his eyes. She thought her heart would beat right out of her chest.

"I've been sure for a while. Just waitin' for you to catch up," she breathed.

With that Jamie bent his head to kiss her softly. Edie had always assumed that if they ever managed to get together it would be like a volcano erupting fiery passion. Leave it to her incredible partner to surprise her yet again with a soft gentle kiss filled with tenderness and promises. He already had her head spinning.

"I love you, you know," Jamie pledged staring straight into Edie's astonished eyes. His declaration should have seemed overwhelming. On some levels it could be seen as too soon but it was music to Edie's ears. Hearing Jamie finally say it, gave her peace and strength. For the girl who always ran from love, she felt oddly calm. She surprised even herself by responding, "I love you too," before kissing him again.

When they broke apart the couple stared adoringly at each other will silly grins on their faces.

"So now what?" Jamie asked.

"My apartment is just around the block," Edie suggested.

Jamie's smile grew even wider. "I like the way you think."

Edie stood up and put on her coat before holding her hand out to Jamie. "Let's go make that fortune of yours come true."

Hand in hand, the pair strolled out of the bar to start the next chapter of their shared destiny.


End file.
